Audi is refining the character of its flagship: from mid-February, the Audi A8 will feature a more precise driving feel, superior ride and acoustic comfort, and subtle tweaks to the design and interior.

Under the skin the rack-and-pinion steering with variable steering gear ratios and servotronic speed-dependent power assistance has been optimised and is more direct. Shock absorbers, bearings and adaptive air suspension settings have been modified. As a result, the A8 responds more spontaneously to steering inputs, and tackles winding country roads with precision, while, says Audi, maintaining straight-line stability at high speeds.

Ride comfort has also been improved: the standard adaptive air suspension is now more responsive to minor irregularities in the road surface. The continuously variable shock absorbers feature new seals to reduce friction, while new valves optimise the characteristics and the entire hydraulics system has been retuned.

The acoustics have been enhanced, without any additional weight, reducing rolling, road and ambient noise levels to such an extent that Audi reckons it's one of the quietest cars in the world.

Comfort and safety

The A8 supports the driver with assistance systems, like "Audi side assist". Utilising intelligent radar technology, it is specially designed for lane-changing manoeuvres, alerting the driver to hazardous situations: if another vehicle moves into the critical zone, yellow LEDs in the housing of the exterior mirror light up permanently. If, despite the warning, the driver of the A8 sets the indicator lever to change lanes, the LEDs become brighter and flash rapidly for about one second.

"Audi lane assist", meanwhile, alerts the driver if they inadvertently move out of the lane. A small camera, located on the windscreen above the rear-view mirror, monitors the road in front of the vehicle; a computer identifies the lane markings. If the driver drifts on to one of these lines without indicating, Audi lane assist signals this accordingly by causing the steering wheel to vibrate.

Clear design

New touches were added to the exterior, from the single-frame grille to new exterior mirrors with integrated indicators and new wheel designs through to new-look LED taillights. New paint finishes complete the range as do high-quality aluminium applications, new colours and inlays for the interior.

The rear view is distinguished by those new LED taillights. They have been given a new look for the 2008 model year: each diode has its own reflector, visible through the clear cover. A total of 58 LEDs for rear light, brake light and turn signal lights are clustered in each of the two taillight units. The rear light LEDs encircle the area of the brake light LEDs, creating a distinctive night design.

The new exterior mirrors, meanwhile, also feature LED technology in the form of the side turn signals.

There are new additions to the range of optional wheels: the 18-inch wheel with a 10-spoke design and the 19-inchers with a five-spoke design. And the colour range has been extended by new tones Impala Beige, Avus Silver, Cherry Black and Ice Silver.

Pricing:
Audi A8 3.0 TDi quattro tiptronic: R712 000
Audi A8 4.2 quattro tiptronic: R828 000
Audi S8 5.2 quattro tiptronic: R1 017 500